Spyware, viruses, & security forum: Zonealarm - is it a spyware/malware?

Not much new here. The issue of the firewall module still functioning after you turn it off is well, a very old issue.

Please. I don't have the explanation and I don't know what's at Area 51 or 52 either.

All I know is I dumped both.
Bob

in the thread you linked to. VSMON is a part of the APPLICATION and monitors all internet connections so even if you have the firewall shut down it will continue monitoring as you likely have email, and various application updates running.

It is just how it works, NOTHING broken or buggy, just how Zone Labs chose to implement their app.

Some people don't like that and change while others like ZA and find work-a-rounds such as this one by Dianetix (Programmer) at this link - http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=960579

This explanation covers cause and cure and was offered you in the ZA forum:

Running applications that keep a constant internet connection open will create extra cycles to be used for ZA. Your basically constantly pushing data through ZA that it has to analyze so there will be more resources used and 50% and more is not unusual with these types of applications.

Its always been this way with ZA its just how the ZA core technology works and it nothing that can be changed or fixed because its working as designed.

Best advise don't run these kinds of apps all the time.

Forum Moderator

The text you are quoting
"Your basically constantly pushing data through ZA that it has to analyze so there will be more resources used and 50% and more is not unusual with these types of applications."
answered my post #1 in that linked thread.

But my post #7 (and also this thread) is about a different issue:
ZA doesn't have to "analyze" if all its functionalities are disabled.

Your "cure" didn't cure my mistrust of the company. I had uninstalled ZA and replaced it by Comodo. So you can see I didn't come here with a question "What shall I do?" but rather with "Why (the hell) ZA behaves that way?"

The fact that a similar behavior is common in many applications doesn't explain things.
I agree there is nothing insidious about the service left running: obviously ZA wants to stay and to wait until it is re-enabled. But it is insidious if it loads the processor quite heavily (apparently by monitoring the net traffic).

You probably know the reason why the sky is grey during storms, but I don't see
any reason why ZA does hard work when it is expected to do nothing.

you mean confiscate from CheckPoint and return to Zonelabs?